When I think of future me, I think of a mature worldly woman who lives by the beach. I mean like, actually on the beach in a big house with washed white wooden floors and navy blue shutters. Taking long morning walks in flowing cardigans and boat shoes, scones baking in the oven. All of this along with a well-known patisserie completely my own.

I know you’re probably thinking, not much then? But seriously, if you’re going to dream then dream big. Where’s the excitement in dreaming about realistic goals? It’s weird because even though I know that the probability of all of that coming true is low, I still feel like it’s going to happen. Is that naive? I don’t know.

My mum believes that if you tell yourself that something is going to happen, then it will come true. If you think bad thoughts, then you’ll bring misfortune on yourself. The rational side of me tells me this is crap, but the actual me kind of believes it.

All of that most likely seemed really random to you, but soon I’ll be moving into London to be closer to work. So I’m thinking about what I want in life I guess. Also thinking about how scary, exciting and unreal it feels. Lets be honest, most posts on here are random as it is.

If I’m out at a bar or restaurant and I’m scrolling through the drinks menu, I’m almost 93% likely to choose a drink which features elderflower (unless milkshakes are on there, in that case my face will be planted in a pint glass of that creamy dessert drink for the remainder of the night.)

I love the look of loaf cakes and their unique split down the centre. No excessive decoration, it’s just an honest slice of cake.

Lemon cake is refreshing and light but it’s often got too much lemon in it. All you can taste is BAM lemon and none of the actual cake. If you want a seriously lemony cake, this isn’t the one. This cake is elegant, light and subtle. The lemon is the main flavour here whilst the elderflower dances around in the background. Insanely moist, you’ll probably eat the entire cake before anyone else gets a look in.

Ingredients – Makes one loaf cake

1 lemon, zest and juice
270g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
120g creme fraiche
210g all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
80g butter, melted and cooled
small amount of very soft butter (to pipe on top for the perfect cracked top.)

Elderflower Syrup

100ml water
50g sugar
75ml elderflower cordial

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees C. Grease a loaf tin with butter and place a wide strip of baking parchment inside, leaving tabs on either side of the loaf tin so that you can remove the loaf cake with ease.

Place the sugar, lemon zest and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the sugar on low speed and begin to add in your eggs, one at a time. Next add in the lemon juice and creme fraiche. Continue to beat until fluffy and combined. Next add in the flour with the baking powder. Lastly, add in the cooled melted butter and give it one last beat to combine.

Pour the mix into your loaf tin, taking care not to get any mix up the sides of the loaf tin as these will burn and distort the rising of your loaf.

Take a small amount of very soft butter and place into a piping bag. Cut a small hole and pipe a line of butter down the centre of the loaf cake on top of the mix. This will ensure a perfect cracked hump on the top of the cake once baked.

Bake the cake for 50 minutes – 1 hour. If the top of the cake begins to brown too much, cover with aluminium foil and continue baking.

Once baked, take the cake out of the oven and place on a cooling rack still in its tin. Place the water and sugar for the syrup into a small saucepan. Bring this to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the elderflower and brush over the top of your loaf using a pastry brush. You may not need all of the soaking syrup, but you’ll need a lot of it. Don’t be scared to douse your cake in syrup, this gal can drink it all up!

Leave the cake to cool in its tin (and drink up all of the syrup). Lift out when completely cooled, slice and serve.